Low-water alarm



(No Model.) KENYON.

LOW WATER ALAR No. 329,176. Patented 001;. 27, 1885.

lhvrrnn Snares JOHN W. KENYON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE H.CLARKE Parana tirrinn,

OF MONTGLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

LOW WATER ALARM.

SlEEQIS-PICAIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,176, datedOctober 27, 1885 Application filed March 28, 1885. Serial No. 160,480.(No model.) Patented in England April 27, 1882, No. 1,085; in FrancoMarch 21, 1884, No. 161,095, and in Belgium March 22, 1884, No. 64,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN WV. KENYON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at New York, county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-Water Alarms, (forwhich I have obtained patents in Great Brit ain, No. 1,985, dated April27 1882 5 in France, No. 161,095, dated March 21, 1884, and in Bel- IOgium, No. 64,600, dated March 22, 1884,) of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to low-water alarms, and embraces the principlesof operation found in the apparatus patented to me under I5 UnitedStates Letters Patent N 0. 176,318, dated April 18, 1876viz., utilizingas a weight to actuate a valve which connects the steanrspace of theboiler with a steam-whistle some of the water in the boiler by retainingit in a vessel which is suspended from the valve when the water fallsbelow its workinglevel; and this invent-ion has for its object toimprove the construction and operation of such low-water alarms. Thewater-holding vessel, constituting the actuating-weight, is suspendedfrom a rod which passes up through the standard or stem of thesteam-whistle, and is so located within the boiler as to occupy aposition between the ordinary workinglevel 0 and low level surfaces ofthe water. The whistleis secured in the top of the boiler, and isprovided with avalve-seat at its lower end, into which fits a valveformed on the rod passing up through the whistle. An adjust- 3 5 ablespring is placed on the rod above the whistle and adj ust-ed to sustainthe watervessel when empty and hold the valve closed. A cover adapted tobe locked, if desired, is

placed over the whistle, and the valve-rod 0 projects through the top ofthe same, so that it may be pressed down by hand to admit of testing theapparatus to ascertain whether it is in proper working condition.

hen the water in the boiler is at its ordi- 5 nary working-level, orabove the top of the vessel suspended from the valve rod, the spring onthe rod above the whistle holds the valve closed, the pressure of thesteam in the boiler also assisting in producing this result.

As soon as the water-level falls below the top of the vesselsufficiently for the weight of the water contained therein to overcomethe resistance of the spring and the steam-pressure against the valve,the valve is opened and the escaping steam passes through the whistle,generally in puifs, indicating that the surface of the water isapproaching the low level, and the dead-weight of the water in thevessel holds the valve continually open when the low-water level isreached, and the whistle continues to sound until the water in theboiler rises sufliciently to counteract the dead- Weight of the water inthe suspended vessel. But to describe my invention more particularly, Iwill now refer to the accompanying 65 drawing, forming part of thisspecification, in which a represents the upper part of the shell of aboiler, into which is secured, by means of a screw-thread, the lowerpart or base, b, or"

the steanrwhistle. In this part b of the whistle is secured the upperpart, c, with a central stem, on which is secured the hell (I in theordinary manner. A vertical central hole is formed entirely through thewhistle, through which passes the rod 6, provided at its lower end witha conical valve, e, adapted to close the lower end of the vertical holethrough the whistle by fitting into a seat, I), secured to or formed inthe part Z2. To an eye at the lower end of the rod e is suspended thehollow vessel f, made light, of a suitable metal, by the spinningprocess or otherwise, by means of the rod 9 and yoke g, at its upperend, its lower end being screw-threaded for a considerable distance andpassed through the center 8 5 'ofthe vessel f, which is secured theretoby nuts and adjusted at the proper height between the working-levol andlow levelof the water. The supporting spring 7' is placed over the upperend of the rod 6 and rests on the top of the bell d of the whistle, anda thumb-nut, i, fits on the rod 6 over the spring h, and is so adjustedthat the resilience of the spring h is sufficient to sustain the rods 0and g and hollow vessel f when empty and hold the valve 6 tightly in itsseat b. A pin, 0, is

fitted in the stem of the part c of the whistle, and passes through aslot in the rod 0, thus preventing the rod 6 from rotating when the nut43 is turned around, and from falling out of the whistle when the nut isentirely removed. The extreme upper end, 6 of the rod 6 is reduced insize, and passes freely through a hole in the top of the cover j, whichcover is secured by means of a screw-thread to the base I) of thewhistle, and is provided with a series of slots or openings to permitthe free escape of the steam when the whistleis actuated. This cover jprotects the whistle and prevents tampering with the working parts ofthe apparatus, to insure which it may be secured from unscrewing bypassing the hasp of a suitable look through the hole j, formed throughits lower edge, and the base I) of the whistle.

The object of making the rod 6 to project through the protecting-cover jis to enable the valve 6 to be opened at any time, without removinganypart of the apparatus, to determine that the apparatus is in properworking condition, and it also admits of the whistle being used in theordinary way as a callwhistle for employs.

Should it at any time be necessary to regulate or adjust the tension ofthe spring h, the adj usting-nut i may be manipulated by simply removingthe cover j without disturbing any of the fixed joints or connections.

From this construction it is seen that a simple and perfectly reliablelow-water alarm is produced, for as long as the surface of the water inthe boiler remains above the top of the vesself the spring 2' and thepressure of the steam hold the valve 0 closed; but as the water-levelfalls below the top of the vessel f a time arrives when the waterretained in the vessel f acts as a dead-weight and opposes the forceswhich hold the valve 6 closed, thus causing an alarm to be given; andthe vessel f is so adjusted in the boiler that this takes place beforethe water reaches its low level, which is below the bottom of the vesself.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

located in the boiler between the ordinary working-level and the lowlevel of the water as to remain full of water when the water falls belowthe working-level, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In alow-water alarm, in combination, the whistle b c d, provided witha vertical hole through it, and secured to the top of the boiler a, therod and valve 6 e, the spring h, nut i, and the water-vessel], connectedto the rod 6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a low-water alarm, in combination, a steam-whistle, aprotecting-covering, an actuating-valve provided with a rod passing upthrough the whistle and the top of the protecting-covering,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a low-water alarm, in combination, the whistle b 0 cl, the coverj, the rod and valve 6, 6?, and e, the spring h, and nut i,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5'. In a low-water alarm, in combination, the whistle b c d, the rod andvalve 0 e e, the water-vessel f, the suspending rod g, the spring h, thenut t, and the cover j, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York, countyand State of New York, this 26th day of March, 1885.

ALFRED SHEDLooK, H. D. WILLIAMs.

